Peanut butter is generally dispensed from glass jars or other rigid containers. Removal of the peanut butter from these containers is usually inconvenient, generally requiring the use of a knife or other appropriate utensil. Most peanut butter is consumed with bread, usually in the preparation of sandwiches and the like.
For convenience in dispensing peanut butter for making sandwiches or placement on crackers for snacks, it has been found that peanut butter can be prepared in a multi-layer sliced form, and sometimes layered jelly, comprising a plurality of peanut butter slices wherein each peanut butter slice is sandwiched between layers of inert packaging material whereby the peanut butter slices can be individually separated without sticking to the packaging material or pulling apart. The present method of packaging peanut butter is particularly convenient for many home and institutional situations inasmuch as the sliced peanut butter can be conveniently and rapidly dispensed. Patented prior art examples are as follows.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,038 teaches a multi-layer sliced form of peanut butter suitable for refrigerator and freezer storage. To make these peanut butter slices conventional high fat peanut butter is utilized that has about 0.5 to 3.5 percent by weight of a hardening stabilizer, preferably a mixture of edible mono- and diglycerides, a hydrogenated vegetable oil, a hydrogenated animal oil, or mixtures thereof added thereto. After other processing the slices are created. The prepared slices are separated by a packaging material. There is no reduction in the fat content of the peanut butter slices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,641 teaches the creation of slices of peanut butter that also utilizes conventional high fat peanut butter that has powdered egg white and an edible emulsifier mixed therewith. The mixture is then pressed or extruded into thin sheets that are cut and stacked, and the individual slices are separated from each other with waxed paper or the like. The prepared slices can then be separated and utilized in the same way that sliced cheese may be handled. There is no reduction in the fat content of the peanut butter slices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,454 teaches nut butter and jelly food slices where a first a second layer of solidified jelly are sandwiched to form a hollow region there between in which is placed conventional high fat peanut butter. There may be a single layer of nut butter. There is no reduction in the fat content of the peanut butter used to make such slices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,939 teaches nut butter and jelly slices where a layer of nut butter is encapsulated between two layers of jelly to which a gelling agent, food starch and vegetable oil has been added to solidify the jelly so it can retain its shape. Each such slice is packaged in the open recessed area of a flexible package having a top thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,716,471 teaches a peanut powder composition that includes fructose, sugar and other ingredients, and wherein the peanut powder composition is used in making flavorful foods and beverages. Raw peanuts are roasted, blanched, and ground to a semi-fine peanut butter paste of 8 to 14 mils. The paste is then pressed to remove excess peanut oil from the peanut paste and create a cake which is then pulverized into the peanut powder to which the other materials are blended such as fructose, sugar, dextrose, cocoa powder and/or salt.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,069 teaches forming single serve slices of food condiments, including conventional high fat peanut butter that are stacked but are separated by paper separator sheets. The peanut butter used is conventional high fat peanut butter so there is no reduction in the fat content of the peanut butter slices.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,986,912 teaches making a peanut powder to which one or more other materials such as fructose, sugar, dextrose, cocoa powder, vanilla powder and/or salt may be blended. The mixture may be added to a liquid such a milk, carbonated water, and alcoholic beverages to make a beverage composition. The mixture may also be used to make ice cream. The peanut powder is made by first roasting peanuts, removing their skins with a blancher, then grinding the nuts to a semi-fine peanut butter paste of 8 to 14 mils. The peanut butter paste is then pressed to remove excess peanut oil and create a cake which is then pulverized into the peanut powder to which the other materials are added.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,060,311 teaches forming individual slices of a combination of conventional high fat peanut butter and jelly. The peanut butter has corn syrup added thereto to increase its water activity, and an emulsifier is also added to the peanut butter during mixing and prior to cooking to thicken the mixture. The peanut butter is a combination of roasted and ground peanuts and peanut flour having some of the oil removed. This, in conjunction with the emulsifier, creates a firmness required for extrusion into slices and separate packaging of the slices using high oxygen barrier films.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,501,144 teaches forming individual slices of food condiments, including conventional high fat peanut butter. Other layers, such a jelly, may be added. The peanut butter used is conventional high fat peanut butter. Individual slices are separated by hermetically sealed protective plastic, thermoplastic, or cellophane single-serve wrapping.
Reissue Patent RE37,275 teaches forming slices of nut butter and jelly made by encapsulating regular high fat nut butter between a first and a second layer of jelly.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,445,054 teaches a process for preparing reduced fat, high fiber, high protein, low calorie roasted snack nuts. 20% to 50% of the oil is expelled from nutmeat kernels using a pressing process. The pressing deforms the nuts but water heated to a temperature between 176° to 212° Farenheit is added and the nuts are reformed to their original shape. The reformed nuts are annealed using cold water ranging from 32° to 68° F. to produce hardened nuts. The nuts are then dried and post-processed with coatings and roasting using state-of-the-art technology. The yield of snack nuts produced by this process is generally greater than eighty percent.
U.S. Patent Appn. Pubn. 2002/0068122 teaches a fat free nut that is formed by shelling a quantity of nuts and milling them through rollers to crush the nuts into particles which extracts some of the oil. The nut particles are then crushed into a powder. The powder is combined with a binder to give a desired crunch, and other agents to enhance the color and flavor. The powder is then blended with a liquid binder to form a slurry that is inserted into molds having the shape of peanuts. The slurry is the allowed to dry and harden in the molds without compression, and the peanuts are removed when dried.
However, prior art peanut butter slices are not low fat peanut butter slices that are all natural, made only from peanut powder having very low fat content, having no emulsifiers or other thickening agents added to the peanut butter made from the peanut powder to achieve a viscosity that can be formed into and handled like slices, and the low fat peanut butter slices are easy to make and are more healthy for a consumer than peanut butter slices with additives added thereto.